


STATERA

by A_Undomiel



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Reylo Fic Recs, The Rise of Skywalker - Freeform, teaser ep IX
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 23:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18509500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Undomiel/pseuds/A_Undomiel
Summary: It’s amazing, the kind of things that crossed Rey’s mind, as she stood in the middle of the plateau, under the afternoon sun. The kind of things that made her heart race, and her breath catch.9 ml of water. Protein. Organic compounds. Sodium. Bacteria. What we lose in a single kiss. What do we win in return?She could see the wripple of the heatwaves in the distance. And then a shimmer and a sparkle. Her breath subsided, the heart steadying as she controlled the adrenaline coursing wildly through her veins, leaving that thumping sound in her ears.She couldn’t lose focus like the previous times. It was important.





	STATERA

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! This short story was prompted by Reylo Fic Recs drabble challenge - based on the new EPIX teaser trailer. So here is my take of what's going on in that opening shot.

**STATERA**

(A Reylo short based on a “drabble me this” challenge)

 

_9 ml of water. Protein. Organic compounds. Sodium. Bacteria. The good and the bad kind._

_Like them._

It’s amazing, the kind of things that crossed Rey’s mind, as she stood in the middle of the plateau, under the afternoon sun. The kind of things that made her heart race, and her breath catch.

_9 ml of water. Protein. Organic compounds. Sodium. Bacteria. What we lose in a single kiss. What do we win in return?_

She could see the wripple of the heatwaves in the distance. And then a shimmer and a sparkle. Her breath subsided, the heart steadying as she controlled the adrenaline coursing wildly through her veins, leaving that thumping sound in her ears.

She couldn’t lose focus like the previous times. It was important.

All the events of the past weeks condensed into a single, fluid moment inside her mind. The rumour of a weapon that could be used against the Order; the quest to find it; the rising black tide and the shift in the Force that flooded her into shock and paralysis; how _he_ had come to her rescue, in a moment of redemption that had saved much more than just her fall into the abyss - it had saved her friends and the Resistance as well.

_I will not let you fall._

The words, urgent and strained, echoed from the past, repeated in the present.

She reached for her lightsaber, as the contours of the TIE Fighter became clear, the sound of its engine echoing off the rocks surrounding them. She remembered his surprise upon discovering that she had been able to fix it. That flash in his eyes: he was proud.

_But you still need to be more. You still need a guide._

_Why?_  

Her friends had advised against it. She knew they still had doubts. But something inside of her knew: Ben Solo was fighting to let go. He also needed a guide.

_Because the menace we face demands it. Because together, we can win._

She closed her eyes and her mind hovered the plane. She could see the endless sands of Tatooine, running beneath her. The red rocks and the movements of the creatures beneath them. Life, joy, death and decay.

The TIE fighter ripped across the sand, its engines doubling up, the Force vibrating from its core towards her, as if the ship was shooting lasers. Rey trembled, feeling her core swell in response to his, her muscles tensing, her heart pumping. All the tension around her became audible to her - from the creatures escaping the path of the ship to Poe and Finn, observing from a safe viewpoint.

They were afraid for her. That she would fail again. She wasn’t afraid. She wouldn’t fail.

Lightsaber ignited, she turned, preparing to run.

They had come to that point dozens of times now. They had tried every possible way to force her to open up completely. They had fought near death dropping cliffs, they had battled over hanging rocks. They had even stumbled into a Krayt Dragon’s nest to draw out their combined force, just like on the Supremacy. Nothing had been enough.

Until now, they had failed to completely bridge their connection to the level needed.

The sound of the machine was blasting closer now, ready to trample her out. He would not stop, she could feel it clearly; he would press even harder. It was necessary.

 _How can we do this? Nothing seems to work._ She had said, in the cover of the night, looking over the fire. Her friends were a sleep, it was her turn to watch.

_There is a way._

He had materialized out of the darkness and sat in front of her.

_But it would destroy me._

She couldn’t understand his words until she noticed he was taking off his glove and reaching out with his hand, offering her to take it. Her memories of Ach-Too were still vivid inside - what she had seen, what she had felt. Trembling, she reached to him and touched his palm. Immediately she felt a pain like none she had ever felt before, a consuming, devastating havoc that rammed against her with a brutal force.

_Focus, Rey._

She bared her teeth and tried to muffle a cry. It was the throne room all over again, Snoke ravaging her mind, taking whatever he wanted.

_No...not her. Him._

A clarity punched through the madness and the pain. It was Ben, a baby still, crying and tossing in his sleep. It was Ben, a boy, clawing his arm to numb the pain. It was Ben, a young man, blood seeping freely through his nose and mouth, his body cracked and exposed. It was Kylo Ren, his mind oozing from wounds stirred by his master, igniting his lightsaber and sealing the fate of Han Solo. And all the time that laugh, above him, drilling his mind relentlessly.

_Now you know the power of the Darkside._

Rey removed her hand, eyes wide in horror, tears falling freely down her face. His face was a mask but his mouth and left eye trembling, betraying his feelings.

_I could never do that to you._

The impulse was stronger than her will. She launched herself into his arms, embracing him tightly, her hands grasping his clothes with violence, as if she could spread herself over him,  shielding him from that horror. She muffled a shout on the crook of his neck, and then another, angry and violent, as she punched his back. His embrace was iron tight, his hand resting on her head, his fingers digging into her hair.

_I am sorry._

She understood now. It would destroy him to see her go through the same process as he did. To truly grasp the ways of the Force, he had to endure pain and violence since he was a small child. To do that to her would kill him.

She pushed herself away wanting to look into his eyes. Her hands cupped his face and her thumb brushed lightly over his lower lip, revealing a pair of crooked white teeth.

_I have never seen you smile. Now I know why._

His eyes burned deep into her grey ones, her touch feeling like fire as it feed into the bond their shared. They felt it expanding, far beyond what they had already accomplished through training, ringing clearer than ever. His hand, still gripping her hair, pushed her towards him, closing the abyss between their lips.

_9 ml of water. Protein. Organic compounds. Sodium. Bacteria._

_The Force, singing, shouting, between them._

All of it came to her, as she turned to have one last look at the incoming ship. Her heart felt his heart, closer, beating in response to hers. One.

Rey ran as fast as she could. They would do it, they could do it. She just needed to channel that feeling again. The urgency of his embrace, the feel of his hands on her. His lips sliding over hers. Herself, claiming him. Claiming each other. She could feel him, shouting his exhilaration, the same as hers, through the Bond.

_Now!_

She screamed, her muscles pumping with the power of creatures, sand, rock and sky. And then she was in the air, her body light as a feather, the lightsaber drawing a perfect curve above the speeding ship. Her legs came down in an arc, as well as the lightsaber, carving a cut through the TIE fighters’ fuselage. She dropped in a fluid motion, rolling to the front and then up.

Finn and Poe were shouting from the distance, their celebrations echoing to the tune of BB-8’s chirps and beeps.

The TIE had crashed, leaving its impression clear and deep into the sand, parts of its wings breaking off and flying all over the place. It swerved around until it became completely immobile, hissing and puffing its last breath.

Rey was panting, her body tingling with the newfound power.

The front of the ship opened up with a twisted hydraulic sound. Slowly, Ben Solo emerged from the inside of the beast, his black clothes contrasting against the brightness of the scenery around him, white and gold.

The wind swept the valley, drawing the shouts and cheers of the Rebellion away from them, the dust prickling their legs. He was panting, like her; disheveled, like her.

_You did it. You’ve broke through._

She calmed herself, thinking about how bad she wanted to run to him, to give away water, protein, minerals, life.

 _We are ready._  

Ben Solo smiled.


End file.
